So You Are Going to Championship (Detroit)!

Getting to Ford Field is not the point of stress for me. It is what to do with all the back packs, and Cameras with extended lenses or detachable lenses that are not permitted. This is a technology group of attendees that all have heaps of computers and STUFF on them. We want to take photos oh but wait we can’t with our $$$$ cameras at the final event?

Cobo is definitely more than big enough, I think they’re just trying to give Einstein more of a finale feel but forgetting the practicality of it in the process…

I share your concerns too, it really does seem like a pain in the butt.

Random thought but how long is it from the end of Einstein matches at the Cobo Center to the final matches at Ford Field? It could be a worry that not everyone makes it on time to see the matches or ceremonies. Perhaps someone who went to Houston last year could provide some insight.

I wasn’t at Houston last year but they got delayed like 2 hours because of unfavorable outdoors lighting making it impossible for the drivers to actually play, so if you’re looking towards that for an example…

Do you know how much time they are giving people to get to Ford Field from the Cobo Center? I feel like this is going to be a mess with the Detroit traffic and every one trying to go there.

The schedule on the championship app has the Einstein Round Robin at Cobo from 2:30 to 4:30, and then the closing event at Ford Field starting at 6:30. It looks like they’re expecting two hours.

I was in Houston last year – there was some time between division finals and the start of Einsteins in Minute Maid Park (a couple hours?), but the problems started once arriving to Minute Maid. The stadium was not far – just a few blocks away, but due to security it took well over an hour to enter the stadium once you got in line. This resulted in many people missing the Einstein round robins or effectively giving up altogether.
Halfway through round robins, the sun crept up onto the field (due to the large outfield windows) causing an hour+ hold on matches.

What sucks is that they could have easily held most of the final day there, division playoffs and everything. But I guess they have to hold it back because Houston can’t have the same thing.

What sucks is that they could have easily held most of the final day there, division playoffs and everything. But I guess they have to hold it back because Houston can’t have the same thing.[/quote]

If memory serves, there is a whole huge basement to Cobo as well, and during the Auto Shows, they usually have the off-the-wall kind of things down there. But I think that would have been more than enough room, and it would have been apart from the regular fields. I don’t know… It just seems like a hassle to have to go over to Ford Field, wait and wade through security etc etc etc…

Well, I’m sure it will turn out fine…

I know it’s been closed since 2010 but Cobo Arena would have been perfect, even Joe Louis which just closed would have been good. The people mover monorail gets you directly from Cobo within 2 blocks of Ford Field, $0.75 per ride or this unlimited pass for $7.50. https://passes.thepeoplemover.com/products/0418first If you are staying anywhere near the People Mover or want to get around quicker for lunch, it might be worth the pass. Otherwise, tokens just to get 85% the way to Ford Field isn’t bad. Here is Cobo Arena:http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/c75efb58c1249076bea1bc6481805f586d710430/c=46-0-755-533&r=x513&c=680x510/local/-/media/DetroitFreePress/DetroitFreePress/2014/09/18/1411085505037-38cobo.jpg

Also, you could walk to campus martius, ride the Q for a few blocks, then walk on over.
https://qlinedetroit.com/ride-guide/faq/
If you are planning on exploring up and down downtown the $3 day pass is definitely worth it, as long as you don’t mind the hike to the nearest station.

It’s a shame. Ford Field is cool, but to up and move so many people so (relatively) far for 2 or maybe 3 matches is absolutely surreal from a logistics standpoint. It has the potential to be an absolute nightmare. Fortunately I doubt that Ford Field will have the same roadblocks to actual functionality that MM Park did/does, but still…

I don’t know if this is accurate or if FIRST will have negotiated something different but I found this description about food at the Cobo Center:

FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE
Food and beverage catering services are provided by Centerplate, our exclusive caterer. Food and beverages shall not be
brought into the building for consumption or sold by entities associated with your event, except by concessionaires designated by
Cobo Center. Individual exhibitors participating in trade shows or conventions are permitted to distribute their product samples
from their booth on a complimentary basis to their patrons, subject to the approval of Centerplate.
All food and beverage service areas in exhibit halls and main concourse are to be accessible, open and operating during public
shows unless prior approval to close them is granted by Cobo Center. For public shows, 5 per cent of the floor space must be
allocated to concession areas.
Our catering sales staff and the chef will be happy to customize a menu that fits your needs and budget. We also offer a
“Complete Meeting Package” for one or two day meetings, seminars or conferences, for 150 to1500 attendees. Please check with
your Sales Manager for more details.
Centerplate may be reached at 313-567-9114.
If a water station is required in meeting rooms, it must be ordered in advance through Centerplate. Water on head tables and
centrally located water stations in hallways are provided complimentary if ordered in advance.

It’s from http://cobocenter.s3.amazonaws.com/doc/New_Event_Planning_Guide_Cobo.pdf on page 20.

Umm… The prohibited items list doesn’t sound FIRST friendly at all… Just a question, but why in the world are we having to move venues for 2-3 final matches?!? I mean it’s probably a pretty sweet venue, and I know I can’t dismiss it until I’ve tried it, but imo moving a whole team (+ going though security) to another venue just for ~3 hrs is such a hassle.

PROHIBITED AND RESTRICTED ITEMS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:

  • Backpacks, luggage, grocery & paper bags, duffle bags, large bags, large
  • Banners or large flags
  • Cameras with extended lenses or detachable lenses are not permitted.
  • Electronic equipment including laptop computers, video recorders, GoPro cameras and tripods
  • Signs, posters, or banners
  • Tablets or Ipads

So basically we can’t bring ANYTHING in with us… No DSLR cameras… No GoPros… No Signs… These NFL rules sounds like a party pooper and DEFINITELY are not FIRST friendly.

My team hasn’t qualified yet so this is just information gathering right now. We’re not going to be a team with a bus; we’ll be driving ourselves out to Detroit. We were reading on Tripadvisor and Facebook that parking for the Cobo Center can both take time and be pretty expensive.

Does anyone have advice about the costs or how far away from the Center we might be parking?

Thank you!

Brighid

There’s also the People Mover to help get around, however my boss who rode it for a meeting for work said it’s kinda sketchy and has some super tight curves… It also is interesting that it literally goes through buildings. Also, no one has died on it yet (that I know of).

So mechanically sketchy? Badly maintained sketchy? Back in the day of GSR, I had a relative who worked on the building as a welder point out exactly which section we should never sit in during a bad storm. :slight_smile:

Brighid

I think both, but it looks like the cars have now been upgraded to newer models… But the super tight turns are still in the tracks. I personally might ride it once just to see what it feels like riding through buildings. That would surely be an interesting architectural design requirement to build around the track.

The People Mover is great! I’ve ridden it many times, and the stops inside the buildings (Cobo) are very convenient. It doesn’t take long to get to Greektown from Cobo via the People Mover, and there are some great restaurants there. Albeit a little more pricey, but still, very good.

If taking the people mover you are going to get on at stop 11 (Cobo Center) and get off at stop 3 (Broadway).

Price wise it is .75 cents a ride. It is easier than working with the passes or tokens. Bring quarters!